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Electrical shock DefinitionAn electrical injury is damage to the skin or internal organs when a person comes into direct contact with an electrical current. ConsiderationsThe human body conducts electricity very well. That means electricity passes easily throughout the body. Direct contact with electrical current can be deadly. While some electrical burns look minor, there may be serious internal damage, especially to the heart, muscles, or brain. Electric current can cause injury in four ways:
CausesElectrical injury can be caused by:
SymptomsSymptoms depend on many things, including:
Symptoms may include:
First Aid
Do Not
When to Contact a Medical ProfessionalCall 911 or the local emergency number, if a person has been injured by electricity. Prevention
ReferencesChen P, Bukhman AK. Electrical and lightning injuries. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 130. Cooper MA, Andrews CJ, Holle RL, Blumenthal R, Aldana NN. Lightening-related injuries and safety. In: Auerbach PS, Cushing TA, Harris NS, eds. Auerbach's Wilderness Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 5. Price LA, Loiacono LA. Electrical injury and lightning injury. In: Cameron JL, Cameron AM, eds. Current Surgical Therapy. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:1433-1442. Sheridan RL. Medical aspects of trauma and burns. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 97. | ||
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Review Date: 11/2/2023 Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. | ||
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